Poway to offer residents energy efficiency incentives

POWAY  Poway changed course this week for how it will spend federal grant money earmarked for going green.

The City Council set aside $50,000 to offer residents incentives for some energy efficient improvements to their homes and $234,000 to retrofit some city facilities.

Poway was awarded $212,800 in 2009 from the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program, most of which was to be used for a solar panel project at the public works maintenance facility on Lake Poway Road. But some solar incentives are no longer available, making the project less financially viable and prompting the city to look for other ways to use the cash.

Residents will soon be able to receive $300 rebates for improving pool pumps and air conditioning units. That incentive is in addition to home energy efficiency rebates already offered by San Diego Gas & Electric. The utility now offers a $200 rebate for some new pool pumps, among other incentives, such as $200 for a natural gas central furnace or $50 for room air conditioning.

The SDG&E rebates are available first come, first served at sdge.com.

Residents will likely be able to access the new home energy improvement incentives through a similar reservation arrangement, City Manager Penny Riley said.

City officials hope to have the rebate program running in the next 30 days.

The City Council also approved using $137,000 in grant money and $96,000 from the city’s general fund to make energy efficient improvements to city facilities, including changing outdoor lighting at the water treatment plant and replacing the cooling system at the Poway Center for Performing Arts.

The renovations are expected to save the city $58,000 a year in energy costs.

Poway hopes to complete the projects before June 2012.

Riley said the grant program will provide immediate savings that will factor into Poway’s budget for the next fiscal year.

“On day one we’re starting to save money,” Riley said.

The total cost of the improvements is projected to be $234,000. The city expects to receive $35,000 in rebates from San Diego Gas & Electric for the retrofits.

The city anticipates the improvements will pay for themselves in energy savings in varying periods of time, with some taking less than a year and some taking nearly eight.

The City Council also gave approval for the owners of the affordable housing development Poway Villas Apartments, a 200-unit complex at 13001 Bowron Road, to make improvements to the facility and issue tax-exempt bonds for the work.

A presentation on Poway’s investment policy was given at the Tuesday night meeting by investment adviser Cutwater Asset Management. Councilman John Mullin, supported by the rest of the council, directed that the investment strategy be brought back before the council in three to four months to discuss whether it’s wise to have significant portions of its investments in mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.